An occasional series looking at places I doubt I will ever visit.
Like most of us I have heaps of family, friends, and acquaintances, scattered across the globe, some of whom I doubt I will ever get to meet.
And so, while we exchange messages and get to see each other via facetime, I will never stroll down their street, take in their favourite bar or restaurant or discover the historical sites which make up their community.
All of which has led to the series, where I invite people I know to share some pictures of their town and offer up a bit of its story.
Cheryl who lives in Orcutt, California was the first to accept the invitation.
Looking at a map of southern California, it is roughly half way between San Francisco to the north and Los Angeles to the south and in between there are all those familiar places, including San Jose, Monterey, and Santa Barbara.
While to the east there are a shedload of National Parks and Forests, like Yosemite, Death Valley, and plenty more.
I have to confess my knowledge of California is pretty much derived from the Beach Boys, and American films and television, and pretty much limited to the bog cities.
So Orcutt fascinates me. My Wikipedia tells me “Orcutt is an unincorporated town located in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Orcutt is named for William Warren Orcutt, the manager of the Geological, Land and Engineering Departments of the Union Oil Company.
The population of Orcutt was 35,262 at the 2010 census, up from 28,830 at the 2000 census”.
The weather is warm, with dry summers and “has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate”.
Sadly, it doesn’t offer much in the way of history, other than that, in 1904 the company he worked for instructed him to create a town, to house the growing workforce needed for the booming Santa Maria oil field, and despite Orcutt's objections the company insisted on naming the new town, Orcutt, after him.
What strikes me as I roam the town, courtesy of Google Street maps is just how much open space there is within the town boundaries. As if the houses are almost an afterthought, and the place is waiting for more to happen.
It is the classic small US town played out in countless films and novels.
And Cheryl has added, "We live in the unincorporated area of Orcutt. There is a tiny little town of Orcutt as well.
They have been renovating it over the last few years and there are some cute little places to eat?
A small grocery store, a gas station, and a few little fun stores. During the time we’ve lived here, there has been so much development, we are almost blended with the city of Santa Maria. So our official title is the Orcutt area of the Santa Maria Valley. How confusing is that? Leave it to California.
And I have included pictures of Arroyo Grande. It is 20 miles north of us.. One of them is of Steve at Naughty Oak Brewery.
Living on the Central Coast of California, one of our favorite little places to visit is the quaint little village of Arroyo Grande. One recent afternoon, we decided to go on a little jaunt. It’s only about twenty minutes north of us.
Arroyo Grande, which translates to Big Gulch, was established in the late 1800s. Many of the buildings have been preserved and it’s not hard to imagine what it was like in the early days.
These days, the buildings are used for antique shops, clothing shops, hair salons, various eating establishments, etc. It doesn’t take long to meander through Branch Street, but it is usually relaxing, friendly, and not too crowded.
The suspension bridge is the only one of its kind. Originally built in 1875 with no sides! Sides were added in 1911, and it lasted until 1995 when it was destroyed by a flood. It is now fully restored. Only 5 people at a time can cross.
On the other side of the bridge there is a museum, and house used as a wedding venue, and a quiet little neighborhood.
We didn’t see many roosters on our recent trip, but during the less busy months you see many wandering around the streets and park area. It’s not unusual to have one shoe up at your feet while your eating, hoping you drop something".
Pictures; Orcutt and Arroyo Grande, 2021, from the collection of Cheryl Mansfield Heisler
*Orcutt, California, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orcutt,_California
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